


Tidy Time

by sarcastrow



Series: Sisters of the Moon [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-11-05
Updated: 2010-11-05
Packaged: 2017-10-13 01:57:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/131534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarcastrow/pseuds/sarcastrow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry needs a home, and he happens to own one. With the help of his best friends and the Black sisters he makes a home from the remains of Grimmauld.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Amends

 

Tidy Time

 

Part 1

Amends

 

            “So, Mrs. Tonks,”

            “Andromeda, Harry, and I keep telling you call me Andy. All my friends do.”

            “So…erm…Andy,” he said blushing a little, “I want to hand over Grimmauld to Teddy when he comes of age, but before then I’d like to live there, and that means I need to um, well…”

            “De-evil the place,” she said laughing.

            “Uh, well yeah, I was trying not to say it that way, but yeah.”

            “You don’t have to be kind, Harry. I know what my relatives were, and I know what they dabbled in. Aunt Walburga probably would have been a Death Eater if she’d have been younger. As it was she loved Bella, my twisted sister,” she said shaking her head, “and Cissy, well she at least kept her in the will and on the wall.”

            “I’m glad you brought your sister up, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

            “You don’t have to, Harry, Luna already did. I know Cissy helped you. I still… you just don’t know what it’s like to be treated like a pariah in your own family.”

            Harry sat and smiled at her. After a few moments it dawned on her, and she buried her face in her hands.

            “Oh Merlin, did I really just say that. I’m sorry, Harry.”

            He laughed. “Don’t be. We share that.” He leaned forward and took her hand. “Forgiveness works both ways, I’ve learned a lot about that recently. My aunt cried on me for an hour after I told her I forgave her, and Dudley’s even coming to my birthday party. Uncle Vernon’s a lost cause, but your sister is not. She never became a Death Eater, and after what they did to Luna, Mr. Ollivander, and Hermione, she knew she couldn’t support them any more either. She saved my life, Andy, she saved my life.”

            “You and Luna teaming up on me?” she asked.

            “No. What’d Luna say?”

            “Oh, she’s trying to convince me to drop by Cissy’s place with Teddy. She said the same thing; I should forgive her, only it took her a bit longer to say it.” She said, smiling. “I’ll think about it, Harry, I really will. I’d like one of my sisters back. It’s been lonely without them.”

            “Good. Now back to Grimmauld. You know the house probably better than anyone still living, so I thought maybe you could help with the um, ‘de-eviling.’”

            She laughed. “Certainly, when do you want to do it?”

            “Well my birthday’s in a few weeks, and I’d like to be moved in before then, so pretty soon.”

            “Alright, just let me know and we’ll get a sitter for Teddy.”

            Just then a wail shattered the relative calm of the Tonks cottage. “Speak of…well he’s too sweet to call a devil, our little lad. Would you like to go get him Harry?”

            Harry leapt to his feet. “Be right back.”

            _He’s a natural_ , she thought. _I can’t wait to see him with a bunch of little red heads of his own_. At that she burst into laughter. Molly’s happy to wait though, I bet.

            She was still chuckling to herself when Harry placed Teddy in her arms.

 

****************************

 

            Andromeda Tonks and Luna Lovegood stood at the gates of Malfoy Manor. A small bundle squirmed in Andromeda’s arms.

            “I owled and told her we were coming. She’ll be thrilled that you brought Teddy.”

            “I haven’t spoken to my sister in twenty-five years. The last time I saw her was when Draco was born, and she wouldn’t even speak to me. When I married Ted they rejected me.”

            “She’s very sorry about that.”

            “She should be.”

            “Do you need to punish her for it still?” Luna asked, as if it were a perfectly normal question.

            Andromeda smiled. “No, I suppose I don’t need to, but I want to, and I guess I shouldn’t.”

            “No, I don’t think that would be helpful to anyone. Shall we?”

            Luna touched the gates and the face in the iron work opened its eyes and spoke. “You are expected, welcome to Malfoy Manner,” and at that, the gates parted and swung open.

            “Always the flair for the dramatic; Cissy hasn’t changed that much.”

            “You’ll be surprised.”

            They strolled up the walk, the high hedges almost blocking the warm summer sun. When they reached the great doors of the house the left one swung open, and a nervous Draco Malfoy stepped to the side to let them in.

            “Good morning, Um… Aunt Andromeda, Luna.” he said, and cast his eyes down, not wanting to meet either of theirs.

            Luna took his hand and he looked at her. “Draco, I thought we covered this when we talked in the great hall. I don’t hold you or your family responsible for what happened to me here. You and your mother’s affection for me saved me. He would have killed me long ago if it hadn’t been for that.”

            “Yeah, well you’re more forgiving than most,” he said, and a tear ran down his cheek.

            “I want to talk with you alone in a while Draco, can we do that?” Luna asked.

            “Right, yes, alright,” he stammered and turned to lead them to the great room.

            “It’s good to see you again, Draco,” Andromeda said, “You were about the same size as Teddy here when I saw you last.”

            “Thank you, ma’am. Mother has told me some of what happened. I’m sorry.”

            “Don’t be, it wasn’t your doing.” She reached out and stroked her hand down the back of Draco’s head. “We’ll be a proper family again, you’ll see.”

            All Draco could do was nod. The something in his throat was preventing speech.

  

  1.             Luna suppressed a small shiver as she walked into the room that had once been her torture chamber. Not much had changed. Her “stage” was still there, as were the sofa and chairs facing it, but something was new. A piano sat in the place where she had stood, sung, danced,             and been Cruciated for the pleasure of her captors. She smiled as she looked at the piano, and then she turned to Draco.
  



            “Do you play?” she asked.

            “No, it’s for father when he comes home. He plays well, according to mother. I should go and get her.”

            “May I?”

            Draco turned to her in surprise momentarily lifted from his morose mood. “I didn’t know you could play.”

            “You never asked,” Luna said in her matter of fact voice.

            And Draco did something he hadn’t done in almost four months, he laughed.

            “You’ve got me there. Yes, please,” and he gestured towards the piano bench.

            Luna sat at the piano, Andromeda took up a seat on the couch, and Draco left to fetch his mother. Luna loved to play. It took her back to the time her mother had taught her. Luna’s mother was quite the accomplished musician; it was one of the things that her father said had attracted him to her. And that talent, along with so many other things, had been passed to Luna. Ravenclaw to the core, Luna had spent many long hours honing her skills. Not many had heard her play, but those that had had been amazed. She raised the key cover, took a deep breath, and began a flawless rendition of Clair de Lune. Luna regarded this piece by Debussy as her theme, and she knew it well.

            Andromeda was transfixed. She was continually surprised by this waif, a magical creature among magical creatures. Teddy smiled and gurgled in her arms as the music lilted through the room. Luna drifted on the wings of the melody. She had achieved that level of skill that most players dream of, where the music simply flows forth, and the player is just the conduit.

            Narcissa Malfoy and her son stood at the doorway watching the scene. Luna’s hair flowed around her as she swayed and moved with the emotion of the piece, and when she felt the presence of Narcissa and Draco she began to weave a very subtle magic. Wordlessly and wandlessly she poured love and harmony into the piano, the instrument acting as her tool. The music carried the magic to the listeners and they were gently lulled into a feeling of tranquility and happiness. Teddy giggled and cooed, Andromeda let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding, and Narcissa looked to her estranged sister and felt a burst of love and hope she hadn’t dared to feel before.

            As Luna finished the last phase, and the notes faded Draco spoke. “You are remarkable. No wonder you were in Ravenclaw.”

            “My mum was better, but I am trying.” She rose from the piano and walked to Andromeda’s side. “Mrs. Malfoy, I think there’s someone here you’d like to meet.” She helped Andromeda to her feet and gently took Teddy. Together they approached Draco and Narcissa. “This is Theodore Lupin,” and she held Teddy to face his aunt.

            “He’s beautiful,” she said, and tears crept from the corners of her eyes. Then she looked to her sister and the dam broke. She stood shuddering and weeping in front of Andromeda not daring to look back up at her until her sister drew her into a fierce hug.

            Andy… I’m so, so sorry,” she said, as she cried on her sister’s shoulder.

            “We’ll be in the kitchen,” Luna said, and she nodded to Draco to follow.

 

*********************

 

            “I would imagine they’ll be awhile,” Luna told Draco as they sat at the large table in the kitchen. Luna remembered this room well. Mrs. Malfoy would bring her here after her “performances” to clean and heal her. It was the only place in the whole of the house she had felt remotely safe, and it was a comfort to her now.

            “So, this is my nephew. I’ve never really had much to do with babies. They seem a lot of work.”

            "Oh, not as much as you might believe," she said. The initial preparation can be a bit tiring. You have to cast all the spells to prevent Gallingals attaching themselves to the crib, and Breathweasers from swimming around the room.” At Draco’s questioning look she smiled. “Gallingals bore into the wood of cribs, and they make a high pitched buzzing only babies can hear. Lot’s of Muggles think they have a colicky baby when all they really have is Gallingals. Breathweasers are the reason many people don’t like cats near babies. They’re an invisible creature much like a sprite. They travel on the backs of cats, and once inside a house, if they find a baby, they hover over it and suck its breath while it sleeps.  And that’s not even mentioning the protective enchantments that ward of the more normal things like Nargals and Wrackspurts. But once that's done there's just the changing, the feeding, bathing, and the singing." She coyly smiled at Draco and began a wizarding lullaby:

 

            _My young wizard nods his head_

            _My young wizard is off to bed_

            _He’ll fly to the moon in a dream tonight_

            _His pillow a magic carpet for flight_

 

            _Sleep now my boy_

            _Sleep quiet sleep long_

            _Sleep while your mother_

            _Sings you this song_

 

            _A wand you’ll have when eleven you reach_

            _Friends and family to you magic they’ll teach_

            _And when you’ve grown and have children fair_

            _You’ll sing this song and stroke their hair_

 

            _Sleep now my boy_

            _Sleep quiet sleep long_

            _Sleep while your mother_

            _Sings you this song_

 

            While she sang, she gently rocked Teddy, and by the time she had finished he was soundly asleep.

            “You make it look easy. You’ll be a great mother, Luna.”

            “And you’ll be a fine father Draco. Oh, don’t look surprised. You’ve learned a lot these last few years. Granted it was mostly how not to parent, but those are important lessons too. You’ll do quite well, I know these things.”

            “Well I’ve learned not to argue with you, so I’ll just trust you’re right.”

            “Excellent thinking, and on that,” she reached across the table and grasped Draco’s hand. “You are forgiven. Totally and completely, by everyone, or at least everyone that counts, with one possible exception.”

            “Potter?”

            “No, Harry holds no grudges against anyone. He should be furious with my father, I was, but he laughed and volunteered to help rebuild our house when I tried to apologize for my dad.”

            “Granger? Weasley?”

            “No, Draco, You. You need to forgive yourself. Until you do you’ll live only a half life of regret. Trust me; I know what it’s like to live in a shell, shutting out the world. It’s very lonely.”

            “I’m so sorry, Luna. We were horrid to you, and you were so… above us. You were never anything but polite and respectful, even when my bat-shit aunt was torturing you, when I was torturing you. Why don’t you hate me?”

            “What purpose would my hating you serve? It’s not logical, or warranted. You did what you were made to do. I know you didn’t enjoy it, except for the seeing me naked part, and even then you weren’t very happy.”

            Draco blushed brightly. “I… I just.”

            “It’s alright, Draco. The Dark Lord made you Imperious me that night. He made you make me take my clothes off. That was to torture you, not me, and it worked, didn’t it?

            “Yes. I hated doing that. I felt… I felt like I was raping you,” and several tears ran down his face.

            “It’s alright, Draco, I know you’re not a pervert, or at least no more perverted than any other eighteen year old boy, and I am not ashamed of my body. I’m told it’s quite lovely actually.”

            Draco laughed trough his tears, “Yes, you are quite lovely. Who’s the lucky bloke? I’m jealous. Longbottom, right?”

            “Why is it everyone assumed I’d be dating Neville? I quite like Neville, but no, Dean Thomas.” She smiled radiantly.

            “That’s interesting. You’re an unlikely pair. He’s lucky.”

            “So am I.”

 


	2. Black-Mail

Tidy Time

 

Part 2

Black-Mail

 

 

            Eight people stood at the entrance to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

            “I told Kreacher we were coming today so a good bit of the house cleaning on the first floor should be done. He had the kitchen spotless last time we were here. All we should have to do is get rid of any dark stuff,” Harry said.

            “Well the first thing we need to do is disenchant the entry. That specter of Dumbledore is getting to me,” Ron said.

            “I think I’ve got that handled,” Harry said as he opened the door. “Professor McGonagall and Kingsley gave me an idea.”

“Severus Snape?” said Moody’s voice.

            Their tongues froze and the dusty caricature of their favorite teacher rose from the carpet and swept toward them. Harry waited until the tongue tie was released, and then stepped forward.

            “The war is over, professor, and love has won the day.”

            The specter stopped halfway down the hall and smiled. Dumbledore pulled off his hat and bowed. When the specter straightened, it had changed into a grinning Alastor Moody.

            “Well done, Potter, Well done indeed. As I’m not here to banish this I assume I didn’t survive, so I’ll leave you with this last lesson. Constant vigilance, Potter, always,” and with that the specter vanished.

“Even dead he’s still a teacher,” Ron said. “So, how’d ya figure out the disenchantment?”

            “Profes… Headmistress McGonagall,” Harry said smiling, “Told me that Moody usually had a fairly obvious disenchantment built into this kind of security measure. We talked a bit, and it occurred to us that probably all we had to do was tell the specter the war was over. Guess we were right.”

            “What about the ‘love’ part?” Hermione asked.

            “Kingsley thought that up. You know how Dumbledore was always on about love; well Kingsley thought Moody might have had something about that too. He said Death Eaters would never think of it; looks like he may have been right.”

            Just then the door to the kitchen stairs flew open.

            “Master is home,” cried Kreacher as he burst into the hallway.

            “WHO IS HOME!!!” boomed a voice from behind the moth eaten curtains covering Mrs. Black.

            “THE HALF BLOOD? BLOOD TRAITORS, MUDBLOODS, WHO HAS COME, KREACHER?”

            Kreacher stopped halfway down the hall and looked to the group apologetically.

            “Well I guess you’re up first, Dean. I wanted to wait for this, but I suppose now is as good a time as any. Everybody ready?” he asked the group. Dean, Luna, Hermione Ron, Narcissa, Andromeda, and Ginny all nodded their assent.

            Harry stepped to the painting of Walburga Black. “Good morning, Mrs. Black, and a lovely day it is.”

            “HALF BLOOD, BLOOD TRAITOR, GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!! FILTH, DEFILERS, THIS IS THE HOUSE OF BLACK, OUR BLOOD IS PURE, AND NONE BUT...”

            “Hermione, if you please,” Harry said as he gestured toward the painting.

            With a quick flick of her wand a black leather strap with a bright red ball gag materialized in the painting, and wrapped around Mrs. Blacks head, silencing her. Muffled shouts and screams issued from the painting as Harry and Narcissa, both bearing a bemused look, turned to Hermione.

            “I am going to regret this question I know, but where did you get the idea for that?” Harry asked.

            “You told me you wanted to gag her, and you remember I’m teaching a Muggle Studies class next term for my NEWT?”

            “Yeah,” Harry said.

            “Yes, um, well I was doing so research at the Muggle library, and I got a bit bored. You know, Harry, we grew up Muggle so we know most everything about them already. I mean there I was looking up how refrigerators work, and how aeroplanes fly, and…”

            “The point, Hermione?” Harry said.

            “Oh, yes, so on a lark I looked up gags on the computer at the library, and, well, this was the most popular response,” she said, blushing furiously.

            Narcissa suppressed a chuckle, and Harry looked at her askance.

            “And just how would you know about such things, young Potter?” Narcissa asked.

            “Well one day when my aunt and uncle were gone, Dudley and I sort of investigated their closet, and… well… they had some things…” he finished in a rush.

            Andromeda laughed, “Okay, we’ll just not be telling Molly about that.”

            “Yeah, okay, let’s move on.” He addressed the still fuming Mrs. Black, “Ready to listen?” Mrs. Black struggled with the leather strap of the gag, but it wouldn’t budge. “Better than you have tried to undo Hermione’s work. It won’t come off, so I’ll ask again. Are you ready to listen?”

            Mrs. Black dropped her hands from the gag and bored holes in Harry with her eyes.

            “Better. Now, here’s my proposal, we can do one of two things today, you can continue to howl and act inhospitably, and we’ll white wash right over the top of you.” Dean held up a bucket of white paint to illustrate the point. “Or you can be civil, and young master Thomas here will paint you some lilies in your portrait to honor my mother. It’s your choice. We’ll give you some time to think,” and Harry drew the curtains.

            “She’s not going to be reasonable, Harry. I don’t know what you hope to accomplish.” Andromeda said.

            “We’ll see. Phineas Nigellus was not particularly helpful or cooperative at first, but he came round in the end. Well, upstairs first?”

            “Ron and I will tackle Regulus’ room,” Hermione said.

            Harry looked at Ginny. “Think they need a chaperone?”

            “No more than the two of you,” Ron said as he smacked Harry’s arm.

            “So, think they need a chaperone,” Harry said, still looking at Ginny and laughing.

            “I think we’ll be fine, Harry,” Hermione said, and she grabbed Ron’s arm and headed up the stairs.

            “What would you like Dean and I to do while Mrs. Black considers her predicament?” asked Luna.

            “Why don’t you two take the second floor, and the four of us will take the ground floor,” said Harry. “If you run into any problems, just come and get Andy or…”

            “Cissy, please all of you, call me Cissy,” Narcissa implored.

            “Come and get Andy or Cissy then,” Harry said.

            “Who’s taking the attic?” Narcissa asked.

            “Attic?” Harry said puzzled. “There’s an attic?”

            “They don’t know, Cissy!” Andromeda said gleefully. “Harry, we had the best play place in the world up there. Come on!”

            With and almost child like abandon Narcissa and Andromeda tore up the stairs. They were slightly winded when the reached the top landing. On one side was Sirius’ bedroom and on the other Regulus’. The door still bore the snakes and the legend of its owner. It was also closed and strangely quiet.

            Harry banged his fist on the door. “Oi you two, I can’t hear any work going on.”

            There was a brief scuffling behind the door and Hermione flung it open. Her lips were a little puffy, and her hair was undone from the ribbon she had tied it back with.

            “We were checking the closet,” she said to the completely unconvinced quartet.

            “The make out princes bedroom is across the hall,” said Andromeda, starting to chuckle. “Reg never scored in here, so…” and she and Narcissa dissolved in to howls of laughter.

            “Wha’s so funny?” asked Ron as he stepped up behind Hermione, a streak of her lip gloss running down his neck.

            Narcissa and Andromeda laughed so hard they had to hold each other up.

            “Oh Merlin, I haven’t laughed like that in ages, thank you dear,” said Narcissa.

            “Reg was… well pathetic is to kind of a word, completely inept when it came to women. I think that’s most of the reason he became a Death Eater, to get some action. It didn’t work though, did it Cissy.”

            “Nope, he didn’t even manage to get on with Alecto, and she was… accommodating.” She sank into another fit of laughter.

            “Sirius, on the other hand, well you already know what a hound he was,” said Andromeda, and they all laughed.

            “Yeah actually I think we might know more about that than you. He won a kind of a prize for it back at school,” said Harry

            “Did he?” Narcissa said as she hiccupped to a stop.

            “Yeah, we’ll tell that story another time, about this attic.”

            “What attic?” Ron asked.

            A short burst of laughter later Andromeda led them through the bedroom, out the second door, and into the hall that led to the storage rooms and common loo the two top bedrooms shared.

            “Decendo,” she said as she pointed her wand at the ceiling in the hall.

            A large golden rectangle appeared in the ceiling. Then it dissolved, and a set of stairs slid down out of the ceiling.

            “We had no idea,” Hermione said.

            “This is great. Come on,” and Narcissa bounded up the stairs closely followed by her sister.

            “After you,” Harry said to Ginny.

            “You just wanna watch my arse go up these stairs,” she said smiling.

            “Hey, chivalry has its perks,” Harry said as he helped her up.

            “Perv,” she said, and kissed him. Then she stalked up the stairs, very deliberately rocking her hips with every step.

            You’re not helping either, Harry thought as he followed Ginny up into the attic.

 


	3. Playland

Tidy Time

 

Part 3

Playland

 

 

            The attic room was dusty and filled with cobwebs, but even in this state Harry could tell this was a child’s paradise. Magical toys were scattered around the room, and a frieze of legendary creatures in a forest adorned the walls. Narcissa and Andromeda were standing in the middle of the room transfixed. Harry could tell they were both lost in memory.

             “You grew up in this room, didn’t you?” Ginny asked the women.

            “Not quite, but we did spend a good deal of our early years in here. Look, Cissy, Bella’s unicorn is still here.” Andromeda said.

            She went to a dusty lump that was just hip high, and pulled off the sheet covering it. The stuffed unicorn was still as a stone for several moments, then it blinked its bright blue glass eyes, and stretched as if it had just awoken from a long sleep. Narcissa performed the cleansing spell on it, and the now snow white toy pranced around the room coming to a stop in front of Ginny.

            “Well, that answers one question,” Andromeda said to a chuckling Narcissa.

            “What?” said Harry.

            “I think I know,” Hermione said, as she knelt next to the unicorn and scratched behind its ears.

            The unicorn leaned into her, and Harry thought if it was a cat it would purr.

            “And another,” said Narcissa grinning.

            Harry looked puzzled.

            “Virgins, Harry. Unicorns and virgins,” Hermione said pointedly.

            “Oh, okay well, um is there anything up here we should deal with?” Harry asked the two women.

            “We should probably check the toy boxes for anything that may have taken up in them, but this should be the least contaminated room in the house.” Andromeda said.

            “Well we’ll just head back downstairs then?” said Ron.

            “Yeah, you just do that,” Harry said to Ron. “But bear in mind we’ve got a little naughtiness detector here now so…”

            “You remember that too, mate,” Ron said looking from Harry to Ginny.

            “Just get to work you two,” Ginny said as she practically shoved Ron back down the stairs.

            Narcissa and Andromeda took a great deal of pleasure in cleaning the cobwebs and dust from the childhood sanctuary. The two round windows at the gable ends were so encrusted with dust and grime that it took both of them several passes before the windows gleamed and bathed the room in the warm sunlight. After the general cleaning was done, they started on the cabinets and boxes. Most were filled with various toys and games. Ginny squealed with delight when she found an old rag doll that laughed and cooed when she picked it up. There was an ancient box of Exploding Snap cards that, to everyone’s amazement, still worked. Only one toy box seemed to have been infested with Puffskeins, and they had died long ago.

            As Narcissa was opening, and clearing the last of the cabinets that lined a wall she came across one set that resisted. _Alohomora_ and _Difodio_ didn’t open the lock. As Harry knelt to look more closely at the catch, he noticed a small snake coiled around it, locking it in place.

            “Got an idea, hang on,” and he dashed down the stairs.

            A few minutes later Ginny, Narcissa, and Andromeda heard Ron and Harry’s voices coming back.

            “…’eve you two alone for five minutes,” Harry’s voice said.

            “Nothing below the waist mate, and not that much above, so relax. Besides you an…” Ron came to an abrupt halt as he cleared the stairs and found the three women, arms crossed, staring at him. “What?”

            “Besides Harry and…” Ginny said snidely.

            “Alright, alright, I didn’t bring him up here for abuse,” said Harry.

            “Aw, but it’s so fun,” Ginny replied.

            “Yeah, yeah, Ron, can you still say “open” in parseltounge?”

            “I can try, on what?”

            “That cabinet,” Harry said pointing at it.

            Ron made the hissing choking noise a few times, and on the fourth try the snake spiraled into a coil, and the lock clicked open. 

            “Wands out,” Harry ordered, and it was a good thing he did. When Ginny did _Alohomora_  a beast erupted from the cabinet. It was all grey fur and snarling teeth, and as it leapt for Ginny’s throat Harry’s shield charm deflected it. It wheeled and went for Andromeda who hit it full in the face with a _Stupify_. It barely stopped the whirling mass of teeth and claws. The thing dashed back into the cabinet and the doors slammed behind it.

            “What the bloody hell was that!” shouted Ron.

            “Dunno. Anyone else got any ideas?” Harry asked the women.

            “I’ve never seen anything like it, you Cissy?”

            “No.”

            Ginny just shook her head.

            “Ron, you mind sending Luna up?”

            “No problem, I think I heard her and Dean in Mrs. Black’s room.” He said as he headed for the stairs.

            “And could you and Hermione try to do something besides snogging all day,” Harry said as Ron headed down the stairs.

            “We can try,” Ron said laughing as he disappeared.

            “There’s at least six years of pent up frustration there, Harry, on both sides, so it’s gonna take a while before it slows down,” Ginny said.

            “It’s been over three months and I haven’t seen it slack at all!”

            “Young love, ahh…, you remember what that was like, Cissy?” Andromeda said to her sister.

            “Oh yes, Lucius was quite the charmer, still is really,” she said smiling.

            Harry suppressed a shudder. “Andy, why would something like that be in a play room?” He asked.

            “This wasn’t always our play place; Aunt Walburga set it up when Sirius was born. Before that it was just storage I think. I bet they never opened that cabinet, the last Parseltounge Black was great great Aunt Titania, and she died over a hundred and fifty years ago.”

            “You mean that things been in there for a hundred and fifty years, no wonder it’s a little testy,” said Ginny.

            “Hello all,” Luna said brightly as she cleared the stairs. “My, this is a marvelous room. Ron says you need me?”

            “Yeah, Luna, There’s something in this cabinet, and we need your help identifying it. It’s about the size of a medium dog, all grey fur and very sharp teeth.” Harry said.

            “Interesting. Well there are several possibilities. Did it have any black down its back?” Luna asked.

            Ginny looked to the others and answered. “Not that we saw.”

            “Hmm, not a lestike then, short snout or long and thin?”

            “Kind of medium and wide,” Harry said.

            “Long tail?”

            “I didn’t see a tail at all,” Ginny answered. Everyone else nodded in agreement.

            “Really,” Luna said with wonder in her voice. “It sounds like it could be a badgewonk,” she said growing more eager by the moment. “It’s a sort of guardian. Malock, the great warlock from the fifteenth century, formed them from badgers and ciliwonks. I’ve never seen a live one, no one has. This should be fun.”

            “It’s been in there for over a century and a half, how’d it survive?” Andromeda asked.

            “I believe they hibernate, though if it’s been that long I’m sure it’s very hungry. Lets get some food for it, and I think I can tame it,” Luna finished excitedly.

            “Kreacher!” Harry called.

            The elf appeared almost immediately “Yes master Harry.”

            “Could you please get us… what’s this thing eat, Luna?”

             “Pretty much anything, but they are predators, so meat would be good.”

            “Could you please bring us a chunk of that roast beef if there’s some left?” Harry told the elf.

            “Certainly master Harry,” and he dissaparated with a crack.

            Seconds later he was back with a large piece of the roast on a dinner plate.

            “Thanks, Kreacher. You probably don’t want to stay.” Harry told him

            “As the master wishes, the lunch meal will be ready shortly,” and he was gone.

            “Alright, let’s get some shields up,” Harry instructed.

            Narcissa and Andromeda erected shield charms, and Ginny prepared to open the cabinet again, while Luna and Harry stood ready.

            Harry nodded to Ginny “ _Alohomora_ ,” she said.

            The cabinet flew open again and the badgewonk jumped at them, bouncing off the shields. Luna gasped in delight and began to sing.

 

 _My darling little elf_

 _Why do you cry_

 _The cauldron of night_

 _Holds all the stars of the sky_

 

 _We drift on the clouds_

 _And fly on dreams_

 _Where all our wishes_

 _Are granted it seams_

 

            As she sang the lullaby the creature calmed. Slowly and carefully she inched her way forward, singing the whole time. When she was singing the lyric for the fourth time, she was sitting on the floor a few feet from the badgewonk, and she motioned for them to drop the shields. Luna pulled a small knife from her pocket, cut a chunk from the meat, and gently rolled it to the animal. As it sat back on its haunches and began to eat with surprising daintiness, they got their first real look at it.

            The badgewonk had the body, mostly, of a badger and the hands of a monkey. Its feet were also prehensile, and it held the piece of meat with them while it tore small bits from it with both of its claw tipped hands. Its face was surprisingly expressive, and when it and finished it looked expectantly to Luna. She cut another piece and held it out to the creature. It carefully took the offering and began to eat again.

            Luna was so engrossed in the badgewonk she barely heard the conversation behind her.

            “I had no idea she sang that well,” Harry said in a whisper.

            “I didn’t either,” Ginny replied quietly.

            “I knew,” Narcissa said. “Did you know she can play piano just as well?”

            Harry and Ginny looked to her and shook their heads, and then looked back at Luna in admiration.

            Narcissa ran her hand down the back of Luna’s head, stroking her hair. “This one is a treasure, always remember that.” Luna looked up at her and smiled.

            “Were you disappointed Draco wasn’t a girl, Cissy?” Andromeda asked.

            “Honestly, a little, at first, but I wouldn’t trade him for the world. Thank you for saving him, Harry. I…”

            “Hey, I saved him, you saved me, there was a lot of saving going on this last year,” Harry said with a chuckle.

            “What’s that in the cabinet,” Andromeda said.

            For the first time they noticed that the badgewonk hadn’t been alone. A small stone statue resided in the cabinet with it.

            “Luna, can we take that out of the cabinet, or will he attack if we try?”Harry asked.

            “She, Harry, she’s female.” Luna corrected. “They are guardians, but your master of the house so she should defer to you.” She looked to the badgewonk. “This is Harry. He’s the master of the house, and he would like to have the object you protect.”

            The badgewonk looked Harry up and down, and apparently decided he was entitled. With what sounded like a contented sigh it shoved its way into Luna’s lap and continued to pluck bits from the shrinking piece of meat it held.

            Luna laughed a little. “I believe that would be a yes.”

            Harry, having learned never to touch something without thoroughly checking it out first, put on a glove, knelt next to the cabinet, and retrieved what appeared to be an idol of an elf.

            “Anyone know what this is?” he asked.

            No one did, so Harry tucked it into the bag they had brought for just this kind of occurrence, and looked around the room.

            “You think we’re done here?” he asked Andromeda.

            “Well, that’s the only locked cabinet, and I think it’s ready for Teddy in a year or so. Yes I think we’re done here.” She replied.

            “This is a great room for kids. I can’t wait to see it used,” Ginny said. “You two were so lucky.”

            “It wasn’t entirely magnanimous on Aunt Walburga’s part; she mostly didn’t want Sirius and Reg playing in the rest of the house. Even then it wasn’t particularly safe for kids. That’s why she put them up here at the top of the house, probably trying to keep them as far from the tombs as possible.” Andromeda said.

            “Tombs, what tombs?” Harry said.

            Narcissa and Andromeda looked at each other and turned to Harry.

            “The Black family tombs are below the house, Sirius didn’t mention that either?” Narcissa asked.

            “Not to any of us,” Harry said. “Well that should be interesting, how do you get to them?”

            “The arch at the back of the pantry,” Andromeda said.

            “She seems to be sated, but I’m a bit peckish. If you don’t mind I think I’ll head down for lunch. May I take Pelly with me?” Luna asked from the floor.

            “Pelly?” Ginny asked.

            “It’s her name. She told me.” Luna said.

            Ginny nodded. She was sure Luna was right. Luna’s sensitivity was astonishing at times.

            “Yeah, I could eat. Let’s all take a break,” Harry said.

            They turned for the stairs and as Luna rose to her feet, the badgewonk let out a little sigh and headed for the cabinet.

            “You don’t have to go back in there.” She said to it. “Come on, Pelly, come with us.”

            The badgewonk looked up at her with obvious glee and pranced around her feet. Luna reached down and stroked its back.

            “I’m happy you’re coming too,” she said.

 


	4. Lunch

 

Tidy Time

 

Part 4

Lunch

 

            Kreacher had done very well. The rest of the roast beef, along with a good portion of ham, had been converted to sandwiches. Harry’s favorite French onion soup graced the tureen, and a Caesar salad sat in a sizable wooden bowl on the table. Kreacher had also braved the wilds of the garden and brought back some large basil leaves. The leaves had then been partnered with brie, bacon, and fresh sliced tomatoes for Ginny’s sandwich. Kreacher had remembered this from a small conversation with her. He blushed and stammered when Ginny kissed the top of his head, thanking him. Then there were afters. Two treacle tarts sat on the counter top.

            “Masters Harry and Ron could eat an entire one themselves,” creature had croaked and then cackled.

            They had found that most of the house had been cleared of the darkest objects during the great Molly Weasley purge of Ninety-five, however there were still pockets of evil scattered here and there. Hermione and Ron had found a particularly nasty book in Regulus’ room, and it had almost poisoned Hermione when she opened it without thinking. She was very lucky that he had the reactions of a keeper. The book flew from her hand, and the scorpion like stinger passed between two of her fingers when he had blasted it from her grasp. On the third floor Luna and Dean had been trying to make order out of the chaos that was left of Mrs. Black’s bedroom.

            Buckbeak had destroyed most of the furniture while he’d been kept in the room. Large claw marks riddled the walls, and roughly chewed fragments of wood were all that was left of the bed. Luna had been delighted with the number of feathers she had collected though, and Dean was suitably proud of the job he’d done with the last Boggart in the house. When he opened the toilet tank in the master loo, and a dead Luna had flopped out, it had taken him a few moments to collect himself, but then he’d remembered, and a quick Ridiculus later the boggart was in a box and on it’s way to Weasley’s Wizard Wheezes. George had been looking for one for quite a while, tough no one had managed to pry out of him why.

            The biggest hit of the day, though, was Pelly. Hermione had been stunned. This was another one of those creatures that she was sure Luna had dreamed, until she had been confronted with the furry reality. She was still astounded when she looked over to the quite large grey lump that seemed to have taken up permanent residence in Luna’s lap.

            “A badgewonk,” She would say, shake her head, and mutter “Amazing.”

            Luna giggled every time. Pelly was clearly hers, and Harry had told the badgewonk she could go with Luna, and that she was released from the house and any service she was under. The animal, which was clearly partially sentient, had tittered with joy and bounded around the room, licking hands and rubbing legs, until Luna had called her back, whereupon she resumed her place in Luna’s lap.

            Dean was mixing his paints on his artist pallet while the rest of the group sat at the table, “I thought I’d start on Mrs. Black after lunch, if she’s amenable.” He said.

            “Yeah, why don’t you four take her while Ginny, Andy, Cissy, and I take a look down in the tombs?” Harry said.

            “You sure you don’t need all of us down there, mate?” Ron had asked.

            “Nah, we’re up to it, eh?” he said to his ladies.

            “There’s nothing down there I’m afraid of.” Narcissa said in her haughty voice.

            “Much,” Andromeda said and burst into giggles herself. “We snuck down once when we were nine and eleven, thought we were big bad witches, one wand between us.”

            “I’d only heard about the Hogwarts ghosts, how was I to know what a real haunting was like?” Narcissa said in a fake hurt voice, and then laughed herself. “Literally scared the pee out of us,” and both sisters double over in laughter from the memory.

            “Where was Bellatrix?” Luna asked.

            “She was at Hogwarts already,” Narcissa said. “Andy had just got her wand, and we were always curious about what was down there.”

            “So what is down there?” Hermione asked.

            “Everybody, it’s the Black family tombs. There’s an enlarging enchantment on it, just like the garden. The catacombs go for a bit. This isn’t the first House of Black to stand on this land, just the latest. There has been a House of Black here for at least two thousand years” Andromeda answered. “Are we doing the garden too?”

            “No, Neville and professor Sprout are doing that this coming week. They’re really looking forward to it too. Just like us, Neville’s getting credit for it in his NEWT studies.” Harry answered.

            “Oh, I forgot to tell Cissy about that.” Andromeda said.

            “What?”

            “We have to write a report to Minerva about what they did, and how well they handled the spells and situations.” Narcissa rolled her eyes when Andromeda finished.

            “I haven’t written for her in years. Hope she’s not grading on our grammar or you guys are in trouble,” she chuckled.

            “So, what scared you so bad?” Dean put in.

            “Let’s just say our ancestors are not exactly resting easy,” Andromeda said. “And there’re some other things. Things that aren’t nearly as sweet as Pelly.” That badgewonk looked up at the mention of her name.

            “That’s a good girl,” Luna said as she smoothed the fur on Pelly’s back.

            “Amazing.” Hermone said again.

            Luna tittered.

            “Yes, I realized this is hysterical to you Luna, but you don’t know what she implies.”

            “Quite the contrary, Hermione, I am perfectly aware of what her existence means,” and Luna proceeded to demonstrate exactly why she was top in her year until she was kidnapped. “The fact that there exists a living badgewonk directly proves the existence of the cilliwonk, long thought to be mythical by some.” She nodded to Hermione. “Furthermore, the fact that she survived at least a century and a half of hibernation proves that the cilliwonk was at least partially immortal, as the legends say.”

            “Nice to have someone you can actually lose and argument too, eh?” Dean said in Hermione’s ear.

            “I’m right here,” Ron said in an exasperated tone.

            “Okay, someone you don’t have to lose to on purpose,” Dean said smirking.

            “Fuck you, mate,” Ron said, though he was half laughing.

            “Ronald! Language!” Hermione said, and the kitchen exploded in laughter.

            “I’ve only ever read about the cilliwonk once, and that was a long time ago. Can you tell us more about them, Luna?” Andromeda asked after the laughter died down.

            “All we know is from legends from southern Spain and Greece. They were apparently the last of the European apes, like small tailless monkeys, magical, and immortal. Obviously they can be killed but they don’t die of age. They were also mostly sentient. Pelly proves that too.” The badgewonk looked up at Luna. “Yes, you are a smart girl, aren’t you?” she said to the creature.

            The badgewonk nodded in agreement.

            “See.” Luna continued. “Malock is said to have captured some of the last cilliwonks on his travels through Iberia, once he arrived back here in England, he found that they were fading, and he couldn’t determine why. In desperation he did the spell of joining and created the badgewonk.”

            The badgewonk nodded again.

            “Are you one of them, one of the first?” Luna asked Pelly in awe.

            Pelly nodded a third time and snuggled into Luna.

            “That means she’s almost six hundred years old! Wow, lookin’ pretty good old girl,” Dean said from Luna’s side, and he scratched under her chin. The badgewonk leaned into Luna and closed her eyes, relishing the attention. Dean had been a bit nervous at the new arrival, but when he had leaned in to kiss Luna, Pelly had licked his hand, and he had breathed a sigh of relief that the badgewonk wasn’t the jealous type.

            “Yes, she is very healthy for her age. I think we should go see Professors Grubbly-Plank and Hagrid soon. Won’t they be surprised?”

            “I think you may have earned your NEWT in Magical Creatures, that’s for certain.” Ron said.

            “That was never in doubt,” Hermione said, reaching across the table and patting Luna’s hand. Luna beamed back at her.

            “Well, speaking of NEWTs, if you want those letters to Minerva, we should get back to work,” Andromeda said.

            “Slave driver,” Harry said with a smile.

            “She’s always been that way,” Narcissa said, smiling to her sister.

            “Middle child,” Andromeda said. “Bella was the oldest and could do no wrong, Cissy was the baby, so she was coddled a bit. Oh, don’t look at me like that, you know you were. So I was the one that got scolded, and punished, and blamed for practically everything that went wrong. I even had to take the blame for that rat bastard Lestrange.”

            “But I introduced Bella to Rodolphus. It was at one of Lucius’ parties.” Narcissa said.

            “Well, they blamed me for it. Doesn’t matter though, he’s the one who took our sister from us.” At a strickened look from her sister Andromeda added, “It wasn’t your fault Cissy. She chose him, and you had no idea what kind of evil piece of…” she paused and looked around at the much younger audience she had, and then smiled at Ron. “This is really your area, so I won’t infringe.”

            “Shall I fill in the spaces for you?” Ron said brightly.

            “I’m sure we can all do just fine,” Hermione said patting his hand.

            There was a moment’s pause and the room burst into laughter again.

 


	5. Painting and Phantoms

 

Tidy Time

 

Part 5

 

Painting and Phantoms

 

            "Good afternoon, Mrs. Black, my name's Dean, and I'll be your artist for today. I thought we'd start with a bit of a makeover, 'cause blimey, ma'am, you could use it."

            "I don't think insulting her is the best way to start, Dean," Ron said behind him.

            "I don't see a need to coddle her. She’s gonna be co-operative or not, and we're gonna find out right now, Hermione?" Dean gestured to her.

            They had moved three chairs into the hall facing Mrs. Black's portrait, and Hermione rose from hers. With a swish from her wand the gag was gone. Mrs. Black appeared to draw a great breath, but before she could start screaming, Dean held up the can of whitewash.

            "You start shouting, and I use the big brush," he said, locking eyes with her. "We've all faced life and death decisions this year." He motioned behind him, indicating the other three. "This is nothing for us, but it means a great deal to you, so you need to decide right now how you want this to go."

            "I want my house clean," she said in a raspy voice.

            "Funny you should say that, we've been at it all day," Ron put in from his chair.

            Mrs. Black's eyes shot to Hermione.

            "That's not what she meant, Ron," Hermione said.

            "I know."

            "You're a pureblood, boy, how could you debase yourself with this…"

            "Be very careful what you say," Dean cut in, "Hermione is ‘Muggle Born’ as I very well may be. You use any other term than that, and I use the big brush. Do we understand each other?"

            "Yes!" She said curtly.

            "Excellent. I thought you might be reasonable. Cissy and Andy were not very hopeful, but I know most women wouldn't want to miss a single moment in their family's lives." Luna said from her chair. Pelly sat on her lap, eyes bright, following the conversation.

            "The badgewonk! How did you find her? Where was she? We looked for years."

            "She was in the playroom in a locked cabinet," Luna answered.

            "There? We suspected something important was in it, but we could never open the lock. What did she guard? Titania hinted in her writings it was one of the Black family treasures."

            "There was a small statue of an elf with her. That was all." Hermione told her.

            Mrs. Black still didn't want to acknowledge Hermione, so she addressed Luna.

            "It's as we thought, the binding stone," Mrs. Black said.

            "They exist," Hermione said in a hushed voice.

            "Ok, fill us non scholars in," Ron said.

            "The binding stones are said to be the final part of the magic that binds the elves to servitude," Hermione said.

            "The M… girl is correct. There are nine. That one was entrusted to the guardianship of the Black family." Mrs. Black said.

            "Interesting, well shall we begin?" Dean said. "I have a photo here from Narcissa's wedding. You're wearing a much nicer dress. Shall I put that one on you?"

            "You can do such a thing?" Mrs. Black asked in surprise.

            "Dean is an extremely gifted artist, Mrs. Black. He can do anything you want." Luna said.

            Dean took her hand and kissed it "She's a bit biased," he said to Mrs. Black. "We'll start with the dress, and then move on to your hands and face. The flowers will be last. Ready?"

            Dean stood in the hall, with his audience in the chairs facing the portrait, and slowly, with paint, magic, and great care, he healed Walburga Black.

 

*************************

 

            "How's it open?" Harry asked.

            "Blood. How else does anything in this house work?" Andromeda said.

            "I'll do it this time, Andy," Narcissa said.

            She stepped up to the arch at the back of the pantry and drew a small knife from her robes. She sliced her palm, and blood quickly covered her hand, dripping onto the floor. Harry was startled and a bit shocked, but Ginny noticed that Narcissa didn't even flinch. The two women shared a nod of mutual recognition of strength. Narcissa wiped her palm on the wall in the arch, forming a large capital letter "B". When she was done she stepped back, and Ginny wordlessly performed the healing charm on her hand while the wall sank into the floor. Narcissa looked at her hand, flexed it, and then she looked to Ginny and nodded with a smirk.

            Beyond the arch was darkness and dust. The four illuminated their wands and stepped through the arch. A short tunnel covered in brick work lead to stairs leading down. They descended, by Harry's guess more than a hundred feet, before they finally came to a more open and flat cavern.

            " _Lumos Maxima_ ," Harry said and they could see the extent of what faced them. A long tunnel lead away from them as far as the light reached. Every thirty feet or so another tunnel crossed the one they were in, and between the tunnels were the tombs. On each wall, left and right, was a pattern, three tombs and a tunnel bisecting the main passageway, then three more tombs.

            "These are all Blacks?" Harry asked.

            "Well, it's not completely full, but yes, the whole family as far back as we have records is here, at least the ones that didn't get disowned." Andromeda said.

            "It seems relatively peaceful. You said it was haunted?" Ginny asked her.

            "Give them a minute to wake up, then we'll talk," said Narcissa.

            "Who disturbs the rest of the house of Black?" a voice boomed out of the darkness.

            "We do," Andromeda said in a loud voice, "I am Andromeda Black. This is Narcissa Black. We are daughters of Cygnus and Druella Black. We come to inspect the tombs and pay our respects to the ancient and most noble House of Black."

            "You may pass," the voice said.

            "We didn't know that part last time," Andromeda told Harry.

            Then something happened that none of them anticipated.

            "Where is your sister, child?" It was their mother's voice in the darkness. 

            Narcissa laid a hand on Andromeda's shoulder. "I'll tell her," she said to Andromeda. "She is dead, Mother. She dabbled in great evil, as you know, and it cost her. In the end, it cost her everything. I'm sorry."

            "Why is she not here with us?"

            A specter formed in the passage in front of them. It started as a shapeless blob of mist, but then a torso of a woman coalesced and spoke to them.

            "My Bella is dead?" she said to her remaining daughters.

            "Yes, Mother, I'm so sorry. You know what she became, and when the Dark Lord rose again she joined with him. She did great evil. She killed my daughter, and she in turn was killed." Andromeda said.

            Tears that never seemed to be far from her, fell from Andromeda's eyes.  Harry had not fully grasped the tragedy of the Blacks until that moment. Andromeda and Narcissa had loved their sister, and she in turn had loved them, but that love had been destroyed by prejudice, hate, and, in the end, insanity. Harry, Ginny, and Narcissa gathered tight around Andromeda in an attempt to comfort her.

            More specters appeared, wandering to them from passageways, and emerging from the tombs. The air was full rustlings and muttered voices, and as they stood comforting Andromeda a crowd formed before them. There were witches and wizards from every period, even as far back as the Roman occupation. Some wandered aimlessly, looking lost and vacant; others looked as if they were just people, strangely transparent people. After a short time the catacombs looked more like a busy street than the abode of the dead.

            Druella Black addressed her daughters again. "You came to bring us this news?"

            "No, Mother," Narcissa said. "The last male Black has died. Sirius, son of Orion and Walburga, was killed in the war with the Dark Lord, and he bequeathed the house to his godson, Harry." She indicated Harry to the crowd. "He has taken possession of the house, and is making it fit to live in. We came to secure your cooperation in accepting him as the houses rightful master."

            There was uproar among the assembled ghosts.

            "The house of Black is no more?" an old man in ancient robes asked.

            "Andromeda has a grandson, Theodore Lupin. He is of the blood, and I intend to pass the house to him when he comes of age." Harry said to the assemblage.

            "He is the son of your half blood daughter!!!" It was the ghost of Orion Black.

            "Yes, uncle," Andromeda spat, "and he is the best you'll get. I lost my family for years because of your insane prejudice, and I will not tolerate abuse of him or any other of my friends and family because they don't conform to your idea of what a witch or wizard should be. My husband… " And there was a catch in her voice. "My husband was a far greater wizard than you ever thought you could be. He and my d… daughter were my life, and yet because of their heritage you never got to know just how wonderful and special they were. You lost their entire lives! We could have been a family; we could have been complete, but no, they were "soiled blood".  That STUPIDITY cost me my entire family."

            "Harry and his friends have been helping me with forgiveness, and Cissy and I have become better sisters than we ever were, thanks to them, but you…you I can't forgive. Aunt Walburga, crazy as she was, wasn't the problem in our family, dear uncle. It was you, you and the ideology you inherited from the rest of these idiots."

            Narcissa nudged Harry and Ginny, and gently pulled them back a pace.

            "You shunning me and mine cost you far more than it cost me. Your son died hating, HATING you , and I felt the same for a long time, but now, thanks to some very dear friends, all I have for you is pity." Andromeda continued.

            "And maybe a little anger. She's had this bottled up for a bit, and they've earned it all. Let her go." Narcissa said in a whisper.

            "The youngest male heir died trying to undo the great evil of your philosophy, you sanctimonious idiots. You clinging to the idea that our lineage made us special killed the line, AND GOOD RIDDANCE." Andromeda was on a roll, Ginny recognized it from her mother, and smiled at Harry.

            "They're in trouble now, she's got wound." Ginny said to him and Narcissa.

            Andromeda began pacing in front of the ghostly audience. "The great and noble house of Black, HAH! The only noble Black for a century was your son Sirius, and you IDIOTS disowned him, stupid self-centered MORONS. Reg tried, in the end. Did you know that uncle? Yes, he defied the Dark Lord, that's why he was killed. He came to know the truth, that he had been LIED TO his whole life. He left me a letter. I didn't read it until I heard he was dead." Great cascades of tears were flowing down her face. "He was so sorry, sorry he stopped talking to me, seeing me. Sorry he didn't come to the wedding, sorry he never met Dora."

            "I will not have your putrid philosophy damage anyone else. Our sister fought on the side of evil for you. She was driven insane by the damage to her soul. This mad belief that we are better that everyone else took her from us, from me." She broke, and wept for a brief second and then flared back again with a tangible anger. “IF YOU MAKE SO MUCH AS CREAK IN THE NIGHT I WILL RAISE THESE TOMBS!!!" Andromeda had to stop and catch her breath, only then did she realize she'd been shouting.

            "No one, NO ONE will know that you ever existed. Harry here is a hero, an actual hero, and he deserves peace, and you will give it to him. AM I UNDERSTOOD?”

            She was panting now, and an electric blue glow of magical fury surrounded her.

            "AM I?" A pulse of magic burst forth from her, and to everyone's surprise it pushed the front row of ghosts back several feet.

            Narcissa softly chuckled in Harry and Ginny's ear. "And they thought Bella was the one with the temper."

            "Calm yourself my daughter," a ghost dressed in ancient robes said, "I assure you that we will behave, but if there is to be life in the house again, I and others would like to visit, to see and feel some of what we lost."

            Andromeda turned to Harry. "That will be fine, we just don't want any mischief," He said.

            "Will your daughter and son in-law be joining us," The ancient ghost said.

            "They have a place of honor at the memorial to the fallen; no, they won't be coming here." Andromeda spat out, as she regained some of her composure.

            "Narcissa has a pure blood son, why isn't he master of the house?" the ghost of Orion muttered.

            Andromeda's anger flare again, but it was Narcissa that stalked forward, lightly pushed Andromeda aside, and leveled her face with the ghost.

            "Draco. Is. A. Malfoy. That's his lineage and legacy, and that is the last we will hear of that. Am I understood?" She said in a low hiss that dripped venom.

            I solemnly vow never to make any of these women angry, Harry thought to himself.

            "We have one more thing to do, and then we will leave you in peace," Ginny said as she wiped tears from her face. "We are clearing the house and premises of evil. Are there any objects here that we should cleanse or remove? Any spells that could do harm?"

            "There may be things in some tombs, but they are sealed, and safe from abuse." The ancient ghost said, and he turned to Harry. "You are welcome to come to us should the need arise young master. We have a great wealth of experience and knowledge. Please, if you need our help, come to us. I promise you a better reception next time."

            "Thank you," Harry said. "Oh, yeah, the badgewonk has been found. The binding stone that was with her is being sent to the Ministry, thought you'd like to know."

            There was another small uproar among some of the assemblage. A ghost in Victorian era robes quieted them and said, "That is for the best. How is my Pelly?"

            "She lives, and is very happy. I've given her over to the care of one of my great friends. They hit it off rather well." Harry said with a smile, "Is there anything we should know about her?"

            "She is loyal unto death, and very intelligent. Everything else you will find out in time. As far as I know she is the last of her kind."

            "Well, she now has a woman who fell in love with her instantly, so I think she'll be well cared for." Narcissa said.

            "We will take our leave of you then," Harry said. "If you do come upstairs, just let us know you're there. Thanks."

            Cygnus Black disengaged himself from the crowd and moved to his daughters. "I did not say this in life but a few times, much to my sorrow. I love you my daughters."

            Narcissa looked to her sister who was still recovering from her anger. "Thank you father, mother, we love you too. Our only wish now is that we have peace. We, or at least I and mine, were on the wrong side of this war. I know now, and I will teach our descendants to be proud of their heritage, but they will not be taught that they are better than anyone else just because of their birth. I hope you rest well with this knowledge."

            The ghost of Cygnus smiled, "You make me proud my daughters."

            The ancient ghost spoke as Harry, Andromeda, Narcissa, and Ginny turned too leave. "Live well, young hero, know that we are here should you need us, and care well for the house and its descendants."

            Harry nodded to him, and the four living made their way back up the stairs.

 

*******************

 

            "Hold out your right hand," Dean said as Harry came back into the hall.

            Dean was standing alone in the hallway; the three chairs behind him empty save for a mirror propped in the middle one. His artist pallet was in his left hand, and a needle point brush was in his right. As Harry leaned against the hallway wall and watched, Dean delicately stroked the canvas with the tip of the brush, and then stepped to the side.

            "Is that more like when you were young?"

            "Yes… yes, lovely. Thank you."

            Dean smiled broadly. "Well, hold those hands out and let's finish up."

            He was bending over and concentrating as Harry walked up.

            "This seems to be going better than I had hoped," he said.

            "Yeah, Mrs. Black and I have a ‘come to a meeting of the minds’ as Professor McGonagall would say."

            "Does Minerva still talk that way? Merlin, she annoyed the hell out of us!" Mrs. Black said.

            Harry and Dean looked at each other for a moment and burst into laughter.

            "So, she hasn't changed much, eh, Mrs. Black?" Harry said.

            "I wouldn't know, but from what Dean just said, I'd guess not. She sounds just as haughty and annoying as she ever was." Mrs. Black said.

            "Well, we'll have to have her over so you two can reminisce. How would that be?" Harry asked, grinning.

            "Don't press your luck, Potter." Mrs. Black said with a smirk of her own.

            "You're looking much better, Mrs. Black. Blimey, Dean, you're brilliant." Harry said.

            "You think so? Luna says that a lot, but she loves everything I do."

            "Yes, I know," Harry said with a grin.

            Dean looked at him and smiled broadly. "Hey, what can I say?"

            "Alright, back to work." Harry said.

            "Yes, Master," Dean said in a passable imitation of Kreacher, and then laughed and dipped his brush. "Hands ma'am," he said to Mrs. Black.

            Harry took a good look at the portrait, and he could tell Dean had been busy. She now wore the dress from the photo. The cap that she had worn was gone, and in its place was a small red hat with a few bright phoenix feathers on the right side. Her hair was once again black, and her face looked at least twenty years younger, as if she were in her mid thirties. Dean was finishing touching up her hands. He had changed them from the claws that they were, to the soft elegant hands of the woman she once was.

            "Where're Ron and the girls?" Harry asked as Dean with drew back for another dip of paint.

            "Upstairs in Mrs. Black room. They're doing actual housecleaning. I'm sorry Mrs. Black but the hippogriff made quite a mess of your old room."

            "I suspected. My son and I weren't on the best of terms. I suppose I can forgive him for that."

            "Good. So I'll just head up then, and see how they're doing. Looking very good Dean, you too Mrs. Black."

            "Thank you … Harry, thank you very much. I have a great deal to consider." Mrs. Black said.

            Harry smiled at her and went up the stairs.

 

*********************

 

            "And so when you find one, it's a once in a lifetime event." Luna's voice said from beyond the door. "I don't understand your reluctance to believe in their existence, Hermione. You didn't believe in our whole world up until seven years ago, and now you know that witches, wizards, and even dragons exist, why not the Snorkack?"

            "Well there's just no evidence, Luna. I mean if there was just a bit of real hard physical evidence I'd jump right on board with you, but I've only seen anecdotes in your father's magazine, and that's just not enough."

            "You will have to get over that skepticism before you become minister. It won't serve you well. Oh, hello Harry. Are you done in the tombs?" Luna said as Harry entered the room.

            "Yeah, went really well. Andy got to unload some old baggage, it was good."

            "Anything evil down there?" Ron asked.

            "Just some of the residents, Orion Black got a face full of Andy and Cissy, I don't think he'll ever be the same." Harry laughed. "Oh, and I told them we found Pelly. One of the ghosts, I'm guessing it was Titania, asked about her, and was really happy you were taking her on," he said to Luna.

            "Oh that's lovely. You're certain you want me to take her, Harry?"

            "Absolutely, I can't think of anyone on earth more qualified or deserving, not even Hagrid," Harry said.

            "Oh that's wonderful. Hagrid will get to meet her soon though. Even with the special sessions I have to go for my seventh year. Would you come with me to Hogwarts, Pelly?"

            The badgewonk snuggled deeper into Luna's lap, making it perfectly clear that where ever Luna went Pelly would be happy to go.

            "I think they'll be inseparable for quite some time," Hermione said beaming.

            "Where're Gin and the ladies?" Ron asked.

            "Down in the kitchen. Kreature's getting the pile that's blocking the storeroom out of the way so we can have a place to put all the stuff we don't want to just chuck out."

            "Like what?" Ron said in a skeptical voice.

            "The elf heads for one, can't see just tossing them in the bin. D’ya remember that painting that thinks it's so funny in the second floor bedroom we shared?” Harry asked and Ron nodded his head. “Yeah, well that and anything else that we should keep for posterity," Harry said. Then he really looked around at the room. "Wow, you guys have been busy."

            The room had been completely cleared of anything that wasn't furniture. The bed that had been reduced to splinters was standing again. It looked a little worse for the wear but Harry was impressed. The mattress and hangings were gone, and there were gaps in the wood where he suspected not enough of the wood remained for the Reparo spell. The dresser, writing desk, and vanity, all looked well used but much more intact than the last time Harry had seen them, and the room no longer smelled of overripe hippogriff dung.

            "Nice spellwork, Hermione," Harry said.

            She smiled up at him, "Thank you for the compliment, Harry, but it wasn't me. It was Ron."

            Ron clapped him on the shoulder. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, mate."

            "Sorry, but I…"

            Ron laughed. "'S okay, but if you'll excuse us, we're going up Regulus' room, soon to be mine, and clear it out. Hope they don't mind us stripping the green and silver, 'cause it's gone."

            "Just wrap all the stuff up and we'll put it in the cellar store room."

            Ron held his hand out to Hermione. "Coming?"

            She shot him a warm smile. "Anywhere you want to go," she answered, and took his hand.

            "That reminds me, I wonder if Ginny would help me with Sirius' room. It could use a bit of a tidy too."

            "No hanky panky, Harry," Hermione said with a wicked grin.

            "Right back to ya, sis." Harry said laughing; noting Ron's hand was firmly on her bum as they left the room.

            "Harry, if you don't mind, Dean and I would like to stay tonight. I can make this room comfortable for us."

            "Uh, yeah, I a…"

            "Dean and I share a bed often, Harry."

            "Erm, yeah, okay, s'long as your dad and his mum are good with it, so am I."

            "They are. Thank you, Harry."

            "Well, full house tonight. I'll just go find Ginny then. You good here?'

            "Oh, yes. Pelly and I can fix this room up, can't we Pelly? Come see later."

 

************************

 

            It turned into a competition. Dean had finished with Mrs. Black, and while her nieces moved her from the hallway to the stairwell, the three young couples attacked their respective rooms with vigor. Mrs. Black, it turned out, had to allow herself to be moved, and once she found out they were moving her to the stairwell so she had a view from the window, she was enthusiastic. The elf heads came down in a rush and were entrusted to Kreacher, who carefully placed them on a high shelf in the storeroom. The two sisters took great pleasure in flattening the wall, transfiguring the wall paper, and hanging their aunt. Once she was up, a vase of real lily's, to match the ones Dean had given her, graced the small shelf the two women had placed under her portrait.

            Ron and Hermione, after an initial ten minute snog, dove into clearing any vestige of the former occupants Slytherin past from the room. The curtains, bed drapes, wall hangings, everything that held the silver and green was taken down or transfigured, all but the picture of the Quidditch team. That, Ron said, could stay. Regulus, for his part in the downfall of Voldemort, had earned at least that.

            Hermione had surprised him, once again, by performing many of the housecleaning spells his mother used. She shrank the mattress to the sizes of a book, floated it through the window, enlarged it, and made it shake and vibrate four floors above the ground. When the last of the accumulated dust had been shaken from it she shrank the mattress again, floated it into the room, replaced it on the bed, and made it resume its normal size. Then she thoroughly Scourgified it

            "You never know," she said to Ron.

            "Never know what?" he said.

            "You never know when you might have someone in that bed who would like to be sure it's completely clean."

            "Oh, yeah," he said and blushed furiously.

            Harry and Ginny had more mess and fewer decorations to deal with. Sorting through the mass of papers, books, and clutter that Sirius had left behind took hours, but in the end they had found only a few things that needed saving. Ginny had insisted the posters of the Muggle girls go, and Harry had readily agreed. The bedding was cleaned in a similar manner to the treatment given the mattress across the landing, and the whole of the room was Scourgified.

            When the dinner bell rang, the three exhausted couples made their way to the kitchen. They were stunned by what awaited them. Narcissa, Andromeda, and Kreacher had laid a feast for them. The two women had prompted Kreacher, and he had prepared many of the dishes they remembered from their childhood, along with the favorites he knew the teens enjoyed.

            When they had eaten their fill, Harry asked for a judgment from the two older women on the bedrooms. Luna and Dean were the clear winners. Harry's room was mostly unchanged from the décor Sirius had installed. The red and gold of Gryffindor still shown, and was now bright and clean as the day he had put it up. The posters of the girls were gone, and in their place were pictures from Harry's photo album. A poster of the Hollyhead Harpies had been plastered over one particularly stubborn poster that refused to come off the wall. Harry thought that it must have been one of Sirius' favorites.

            In Ron's room the change was much more pronounced. “Do Not Enter Without the Express Permission of Regulus Arcturus Black” still adorned the door, but the room looked nothing like it had. Again the Gryffindor colors were everywhere, and a Chudley Cannons poster graced the wall. The bed was draped in crimson, and a gold duvet covered the mattress. Hermione had transfigured the wall paper to the same style that Mrs. Weasley had in the drawing room at the Burrow. The picture of Regulus and the Slytherin Qudditch team hung by the door, and another, of Hermione, sat on the bedside table.

            The former bedroom of Walbuga Black bore no resemblance to the shattered remains that Luna and Dean had started with. The bedroom was now mostly blue with bronze accents, all but the bed, which was clothed in the same Gryffindor colors as Harry's and Ron's. The furniture was clean and shone with polish, the floor had been scrubbed and a new carpet had been found, and the wall was repaired with new paper showing a number of magical beasts. At the foot of the bed was another small round bed for Pelly.

            "Where'd you find a mattress?" Ron asked.

            "Dean transfigured a pillow," Luna answered, nonplussed.

            "Very good," Andromeda said as she sat on the bed testing the mattress. "That'll go in the note to Minerva."

            "We did the loo and the closets too," Dean said.

            "Show off," Ron said as he backhanded Dean on the shoulder.

            "This is the nicest bedroom in the house, Harry. Are you sure you don't want it for yourself?" Luna asked.

            "No, I like Sirius' old room, it's… comforting. I don't know why, but it is."

            "Yeah, and you can't beat the view. Ours… Uh, mine faces the same way, and you can see the Kings Reach tower, Westminster, the big white wheel thingy their building’s great. Ron said.

            Andromeda pointedly ignored Ron's slip. "I'm so happy you decided to do this, Harry." She looked to her sister. "I really don't know how to thank you, but Cissy and I will think of something, won't we?"

            "Yes, and I… I have to thank you again. You saved my family, and gave me my sister back." She looked to her sister with shining eyes. "You saved all our lives, and more I think. I know you hate Draco, but thank you for saving him too."

            "Ah, Mrs. Malfoy, Cissy. We don't hate Draco, or at least not any more, right?" Ron said looking at the others, and they nodded agreement. "Hey, we saved him at least twice the night of the battle, and I only punched him once, so I think we're good."

            "Thank you. He's trying to make up for everything he 's done, make up for some of the evil things he was made to do," and she looked at Luna with sorrow in her eyes. "He'll be a good man, a great man, you'll see."

            Luna nodded. "I know."

            "Well I think I should get to Molly, and see if she'll let me have Teddy back," Andromeda said.

            "Oh, mums been looking forward to the handing the baby back to the parents part for a long time," Ginny said grinning.

            "Shall I tell her you'll be along shortly?"

            "Yeah, in a bit. The boys are staying, but Hermione and I are coming home tonight."

            "Good. Cissy and I will go and gather our things and Floo back to the Manor. I'll go on to the Burrow from there. Thank you again Harry."

            "I'll come down to the fireplace with you, leave these to pat each other on the back for a while." He said chuckling and nodding at his friends.

 

**************************

 

            "Thanks for coming Andy, Cissy, you've helped make this old house a home again. We've got more redecorating to do. If you want to help you're more than welcome to. I'm thinking of repairing the tapestry, getting everybody's names back on. What do you think?"

            "That's a wonderful idea, Harry," Narcissa said.

            Harry stepped forward and pulled her into an embrace. "Thank you for coming. You're welcome here any time." He stepped back and smiled to her, and then drew Andromeda into and hug. "Thanks, Andy."

            They stepped into the hearth and Andromeda said, "Malfoy Manor." They were gone in a burst of green flame.

            Harry turned and surveyed the drawing room. This was his home now, his and Ron's for as long as they cared to stay. There was still a good deal of work to do, with cleaning and personalizing the decoration, but at long last Harry had a home of his own. Grimmauld would not have been his first choice, but now it fit. It was becoming the house of Potter, and one day it would be the house of Lupin. Harry smiled. That was a day he looked forward too. A burst of laughter drew him from his reverie, and with a cheek breaking smile he headed up the stairs to his friends.

 


End file.
